


The Stages of Sherlock Holmes

by nat_scribbles



Series: The Stages Series [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-04
Updated: 2013-02-04
Packaged: 2017-11-28 05:59:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/671080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nat_scribbles/pseuds/nat_scribbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock Holmes at different times during his friendship with John Watson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Stages of Sherlock Holmes

**Author's Note:**

> It can be read independently from its sequel.
> 
> As always, the characters aren't mine, I'm just having fun with them, and English isn't my first language, please excuse the mistakes.

At the beginning, Sherlock tries to find patterns in his new flatmate. He finds all the obvious ones, the unimportant and  _dull_  ones. But John isn’t dull. Surprisingly enough, John is full of surprises. Sherlock keeps trying to predict his next move, but he can’t. He is not used to failure. Sherlock observes, analyzes, and catalogues. John follows Sherlock during the cases, barely asks stupid  _dull_  questions and does whatever Sherlock asks him to do… usually. John is categorized in a submissive profile. When the mould experiment goes slightly out of control (a fascinating and unexpected turn of events) and the funguses cover the kitchen table, John squares his shoulders and his hands become steady. His anger hits him, almost as if it was physical, but the doctor hasn’t moved an inch. He pins the detective with his stare and tells him, his voice full of command, to ‘fucking clean the bloody kitchen table’. Sherlock has to fight back the urge to shiver. He will clean after his experiments from now on. John is not submissive, then. Yet another surprise. Now, whenever an experiment goes wrong in the kitchen, John yells at Sherlock makes himself a cup of tea. Sherlock tries offering the tea himself this time, so maybe he can skip the yelling. John stares at him, no, John  _observes_. Sherlock fights back the shivers, again (except now they are different kinds of shiver. These curl low in his abdomen and make him feel like his skin is too tight instead of shooting down his spine, filling him with cold and fear. The subject needs further investigation; he doesn’t have enough data)… At the beginning, Sherlock finds himself fascinated by John, and he definitely wants more data.

 

***

 

Sometimes, Sherlock stares at John. That isn’t unusual per se, but he seems to be unable to think now. He just stares. Sherlock isn’t used to this. By now he has memorized, analyzed and catalogued every movement the doctor does. He has stored over 50 different types of smiles, over 20 types of glares, over 30 types of frowns, over 75 types of laughs (including giggling in crime scenes, one of his favourites), over 1000 different paths a water drop can take before getting lost in the towel around his hips when he steps out of the shower… There is a whole new wing in his mind palace, a magnificent wing that keeps growing, full of John Hamish Watson, who seems to have developed a new way of looking at him? He must catalogue this. Sherlock is cleaning the Petri dishes and he can see his flatmate out of the corner of his eye. John is slowly licking his lips now. That movement is in his hardrive: John tends to do that when he is aroused. No females to be found in the room, so the only possible explanation is…  _Oh._  Sometimes, Sherlock can’t think when he stares at his flatmate, or rather, the only thought his mind supplies is  _John, John, John, John_ and he bends a little further when he’s cleaning the Petri dishes.

 

***

 

Lately, Sherlock can’t recognize himself. Somewhere between John’s arrival and now the Sherlock he knew has been replaced by someone who turns to the right to see what the doctor has to say, someone who tones down (slightly) his deductions so he won’t hurt other people’s feelings (very much), someone who kills in a painless way rather than an efficient one, someone who is now  _alone_. Moriarty’s web is larger than what he would have dreamt in his worst nightmares. Sherlock takes out criminals and small organizations one at a time, without looking at his bloodstained hands. What would John think, bit not good? But John has killed people before; surely he will understand. Sherlock occasionally visits London, whenever his next victim is there. He always visits John, watching him from afar, feeling like a hundred ice daggers poke around in his chest at the sight of the doctor’s tired,  _empty_  face. That is a new face he wishes he hadn’t had to see and catalogue, a face he put there. Lately, Sherlock lies to himself:  _soon, John, soon_.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if I'll add the stages of other characters, but please do tell if you'd like me to! :)


End file.
